Car-coupling



(N0 Mode.) I

C. D= HORGAN.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 562,827. Y Patented June 30, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

CHARLES D. HORGAN, OF VICTOR, COLORADO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,827, dated J' une30, 1896.

Application filed May 19, 1896. Serial No. 592,142. (No model.)

1'0 alt whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. MORGAN, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Victor, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, haveinvented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar-couplings, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and etlicient one,capable of coupling automatically, and adapted to be readily uncoupledwithout going between cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling in whichthe draw-head will be capable of vertical adjustment to adapt it to bearrangedat an elevation to suit the height of the drawehead of anothercar.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction ofswinging catches, and to provide one which may be readily renewed whenworn, without discarding the entire catch.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

ln the drawings, Figure l is perspective view of a car-couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a det-ail perspectiveview of the catch. Fig. et is a detail view of the catch, the shoe beingremoved. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the shoe. Fig. 6 is adetail view illustrating the manner oi' hinging the draw-head.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theiigures of the drawings.

l designates a draw-head having a flaring mouth and provided with alongitudinal linkopening for the reception of a link 2, which is engagedby a swinging catch 3, and the latter is pivotally mounted in thelongitudinal slot of the draw-head. The catch, which is substantiallytriangular, presents an inclined front edge adapted to be engaged by alink entering the draw-head, whereby the catch is automatically liftedto effect the operation of coupling, and its lower point or apex isreceived within a notch of the bottom of the draw-head. The rear side ofthe catch is recessed to receive the end of the link, and the upperportion of the rear edge of the catch is curved at 4 and bears against acurved portion of the draw-head to relieve the transverse pivot-pin 5 ofstrain.

It has been found by experience that catches, by being struck by links,become rapidly worn and have to be entirely discarded, and in order toenable a catch to be renewed without discarding it entirely a removableshoe 6 is provided. The shoe (i, which is preferably constructed ofchilled steel in order to withstand the wear, is arranged at the frontedge of the catch in position to be struck by a link entering thedraw-head, and is provided with a longitudinal dovetail groove 7, whichinterlocks with corresponding dovetail flanges 8, and the shoe, which isrinserted on the catch from the tcp thereof, is provided at its top witha pair of flanges @,located at opposite sides of the catch, arranged inrecesses l0 thereof, and provided with registering perforations ll toreceive the transverse pivot-pin 5, whereby the shoe is securelyfastened to the catch. The flanges S, which extend from the bottom ofthe cat-ch to within a short distance of the top of the same, arelocated at the opposite sides thereof, and are formed by recessing thecatch, and the shoe completes the front of the catch and has its outerfaces flush with the outer faces of the saine.

Should the shoe become worn or broken, it may be readily removed fromthe catch by withdrawing the transverse pin 5, and a new shoe can bequickly applied wit-hout discarding the entire catch.

The catch is provided with an oil-hole 12, extending from its upper edgedownward to the opening or perforation for the reception of thepivot-pin 5, and then downward to its front edge, and the shoe isprovided with a corresponding perforation l3,which registers with thelower end of the oil-hole l2, and by supplying oil, or other lubricantto the top of the oil-hole l2, the pivot 5 is lubricated and ICO alsothe front face of the catch, thereby greatly vreducing the wear andenabling the end of The operation of uncoupling is performed by atransverse rock-shaft 14, journaled in inner and outer bearings 15 and16 of a car 17, and provided, at its inner end, with an arm 18,whichengages an eye 19 of the catch. The eye 19 is located at the rear end ofthe catch and the arm 18 has its outer end bent downward and inward onitself to form a longitu-dinal loop 20, which is linked into the catch,and which permits the necessary play of the draw-head. The rock-shaft isprovided, at its outer end,with a handle 2l,which extends normallyoutward and downward at an angle to the car, and 'when the catch is inengagement with the link the inner arm also bears against the upperportion thereof, so that the weight of the rock-shaft is borne by thecatch to increase the weight of the latter. By pivoting the catch at theupper front corner thereof, the strain, incident to drawing a car,operates to hold the catch in engagement with the link and to prevent itfrom swinging backward and upward. The inner bearing 15, which receivesthe transverse rock-shaft, is provided with a substantially triangularloop to permit the necessary play of the drawhead, and also toaccommodate itself to the adjustment thereof.

In order to enable the draw-head to be adj usted verticallytoaccommodate itself to the height of the draw-head of another car so thata straight link may be employed, the shank or draw-bar 23 of thedraw-head is provided with a hinged joint 24, consisting of a pair ofears, arranged at opposite sides of the front section of the draw-bar orshank, a centrally-arranged ear located at the front end of the innersection of the shank or draw-bar and iitting between the side ears, anda transverse bolt or fastening device 25,which passes through theperforations of the ears. The outer portion of the draw-bar or shank isarranged within a rectangular frame or stirrup 26,which depends from thecar, and which is secured at its top to the same. This rectangular frameor stirrup comprises a horizontal bottom portion and vertical sides, andthelatter have their upper ends bent outward at right angles to formattachment-plates,which are bolted, or otherwise secured, to theframework of the car.

The draw-head is provided in rear of the catch, between the same and theiiange 27, with an eye 28, into which is linked one end of a chain 29,and the latter extends upward and passes over a pulley 30. The pulley 3ois mounted on the car, and the chain 29 extends therefrom to one side ofthe car and is `ceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, thatit is positive and reliable in operation, and that it is capable ofautomatically coupling and of being readily uncow pled without goingbetween cars. Furthermore, it will be apparent that the draw-head iscapable of vertical adjustment to bring it into the same horizontalplane as the drawhead of another car, and that the catch may be readilyrenewed, when worn, without entirely discarding it. It willalso beapparent that by lubricating the pin and the front face of the catch thedurability of the parts is greatly increased.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing anyof the advantages of this invention.

1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head having alink-opening and provided with a longitudinal slot, a swinging catcharranged in the slot, provided at opposite sides with a recess andhaving at its front dovetail flanges, a removable shoe having a dovetailgroove interlocked with the dovetail flanges of the catch and providedat its top with side flanges iitting in the recesses of the catch, and atransverse pivot-pin passing through the side flanges and the catch,pivoting the latter in the draw-head and securing the shoe to the same,substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination with a car, of a draw-headprovided at its shank with a hinged joint and capable of a limitedupward and downward movement, a pulley mounted on the car and locatedabove the draw-head, a chain secured to the draw-head, passing over thepulley and extending to one side of the car, an operating-leverconnected with the chain, a ratchet, and a pawl carried by the lever andengaging the ratchet, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a swinging catcharranged therein, provided with a transverse perforation and having ahole extend-ing fromits upper edge to its front edge'and intersectingthe transverse perforation and adapted to receive a lubricant, aremovable shoe arranged at the front of the catch, interlocked therewithIOO and provided with side anges embracing the my oWn I have heretoaffixed my signature in same, and @transverse pvot passing through thepresence of two Witnesses. the side zmges and the perforation of thecatch, looking the shoe to the latter and piv- CHAS. D. HORGAN. 5 otingthe catch to the draw-head, substzm- Vtne-sses:

tially as and for the purpose described.A JOHN H. SIGGERS,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as THEODORE DALTON.

